Rotary cutter mining machine with belt drive



y 1956 J- c. SPIGARELLI 2,744,741

ROTARY CUTTER MINING MACHINE WITH BELT DRIVE Filed Jan. 5, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 1 rralmr-im: l all *imy INVENTOR. John C. Sp/gare/U 4TTO/ENEVJ ROTARY CUTTER MINING MACHINE WITH BELT DRIVE Filed Jan. 5,1954 May 8, 1956 J. c. SPIGARELLI 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v .INVENTOR. John C.6p/gare/h' A 7' TOR/V5949 United States Patent 1 2,744,741 ROTARY CUTTERMINING MACHINE WITH BELT DRIVE John C. Spigarelli, Price, UtahApplication January 5, 1954, Serial No. 492,236 3 Claims. (Cl. 262-26)This invention relates to mining machines, and more especially, tomachines utilized in the mining of coal slack, though it will be obviousto those skilled in this art that the apparatus is readily adaptable forutilization in connection with other mining operations and any otherclass of mineral matter.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide portable coalmining apparatus equipped with rotary cutters for engagement with a coalseam, the arrangement and disposition of the component elements of theapparatus being such as to facilitate and expedite the carrying out ofthe mining operations.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wheeled chassis orcarriage having rotary motor driven cutters mounted for adjustmentthereon, and means associated therewith for wetting the mined mineral.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of the typedescribed with gearless driving means for rotating the cutters, and withmanually manipulated means for swinging the above-mentioned rotarycutters through an are which passes above and below the longitudinalmedial axis of the chassis.

A still further object of this invention is to provide mining equipmentof the class to which reference has been made which is non-complex inconstruction and assembly, and which is inexpensive to manufacture andmaintain.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will becomemore apparent from a consideration of the following specification whenread in the light of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a coal mining machine constructed inaccordance with the teachings of this invention;

Figure 2 is a front end elevation of-the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of the rotary cutter and drivenpulley assembly taken on the vertical plane of line 4-4 of Figure 2, andlooking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a detail view of the rotary cutters and the bearingstructure therefor taken on the vertical plane of line 5-5 of Figure 2,and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 6 is a partial detail cross sectional view taken on the verticalplane of line 66 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of thearrows.

Referring now and more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 1designates, in general, a coal mining machine constructed in accordancewith this invention. The machine 1 comprises any suitable carriage orchassis which in this instance consists of a pair of elongated, spacedand parallel inverted and opposed L-shaped side members 2 and 3,respectively, each of which are rigidly connected together at one oftheir respective adjacent ends by a cross-member 4 which extendsperpendicularly therebetween. The rigidity of the relationship betweenthe members 2, 3 and 4 is further insured by the insertion of the rightangle triangular inserts 5 and 6 within the corners at the intersectionsof the side members 2 and 3 with the cross-member 4.

Spaced inwardly from the other ends of the side membets 2 and 3, thesame are connected by the second cross member 7 which extendstransversely thereof and at right angles thereto to preserve theparallel relationship between the side members 2 and 3. A substantiallypolygonal flat plate a is fixedly secured between the side members 2, 3and the last mentioned cross member 7 to reinforce the right anglerelationship between these several members. As seen in Figure 1 of thedrawings, the cross member '7 is spaced inwardly of the aforementionedother ends'of the longitudinally extending side members 2, 3 in order toprovide end extensions thereof designated by the reference numerals 2'and 3 (see Figure 1).

The opposed depending and parallel sides of the members 2 and 3 aretraversed at their one and other ends thereof by the shafts 9 and M onthe outer ends of whic are secured rotatable wheels 11. on which aremounted detachable tires 12.

The above mentioned wheeled chassis may be referred to as the box typethough other constructions of the chassis may be employed if desired.

An elongated substantially rectangular support bar 13 has one of itsends secured to the outer end of the extension 2' and extendslongitudinally thereof. A similar support bar 14 is connected with theextension 3. A cross shaft l5 extends transversely through the supportbars 13 and i4 and is rotatably supported therein. As is seen in Figurel, the cross shaft 15 has end portions which project beyond the remotesides of the support bars 13, 14-, whereby a pair of gears 16 and 17 maybe keyed or otherwise mounted thereon for rotation therewith. A crank 18is affixed to the cross shaft 15 adjacent the gear 17 to providemanually operated means for rotating the cross shaft and the gearsmounted thereon. A ratchet pin 19 is pivotally mounted at 20 to theextension 3' and has an end thereof adapted to releasably engage theteeth of the gear 17 to preventv rotation of the latter in acounter-clockwise direction.

A second cross shaft 21 is mounted between the support bars l3, 14adjacent the free ends thereof, the

shaft 21 having opposed ends which project beyond the remote sides ofthe support bars. A pair of segmental racks 22 and 23 are pivotallymounted on the cross shaft 21, one adjacent each end thereof, with theteeth of the racks meshing with their respective adjacent gears 16 and17. Each of the racks 22, 23 are formed with a radial extension 22', 23which has an inverted L-shaped transverse cross section to form opposedlateral arms 22 and 23 (see Figures 1 and 5), to the free ends of whichare riveted or otherwise rigidly secured a pair of split bearings 2d and25, respectively. A hollow tubular cross shaft 26 is mounted forrotation in the bearings 2 25 and is provided with a longitudinallyextending keyway for locking engagement with a longitudinally extendingkey 27 integrally formed with a driven shaft 2% A plurality of rotarycutters 29 are afiixed in spaced relation to the tubular shaft 26 forrotation therewith. As is seen in Figure 1 a pulley 30 is secured forrotation with the tubular shaft 26 between a pair of adjacent rotarycutters 29 adjacent one side of the machine 1 and a smilar pulley 30 isalso afiixed for rotation with the shaft 26 adjacent the other sidethereof.

From the foregoing structure, it will be apparent that the radialextensions 22, 23 define cutter support arms pivotally carried by thechassis adjacent one end thereof for movement in parallel arcuate pathsabout a common horizontal axis, with the cutters 29 being carried by thearms on one end thereof for movement therewith. The means whereby thesupport arms 22', 23' are moved simultaneously in their parallel arcuatepaths will comprise the segmental racks or gears 22 and 23 which areadapted to mesh with the transversely spaced gearslfi and 17 which aremounted for rotation about a common horizontal axis lying in'the-sameplane and longitudinally spaced from the common axis about which thesupport arms move. Thus, upon rotation of the transversely spaced gears16 and 17, by means of the crank 13, the support arms and the cutterscarried thereon will be moved in the arcuate path about the commonhorizontal axis defined by the center line of the cross shaft 21, to aselected position in the path of movement.

At each side and adjacent the back end of the machine 1 (Figuresl and 6)a bracket 31, 32 is rigidly secured to the side members 2, 3 to slidablyreceive a substantially rectangular bed plate 33 on which is mounted anelectric motor 34. The brackets 31, 32 are each longitudinally slottedat 31, 32' to receive the bolts 35, 36 which project upwardly from thebed plate 33, the slots and bolts constituting means for adjusting theposition or the motor 34 relative to the opposite ends of the machine 1.Wing nuts 37 serve to maintain the adjusted position.

A pair of laterally spaced standards 38 and 3% project upwardly from thebed plate 33 and support a cross shaft 49 for rotation therein. A pairor" pulleys 41 and 42 are atlixed to the cross shaft 43 in alignmentwith the puileys 3% and 39, respectively, and are connected in drivingrelation by means of the endless V-belts 43 and A third pulley 45 isafiixed to the cross shaft 41) adjacent the pulley 42. The last namedpulley is aligned with a pulley 16 mounted on the drive shaft 4'7 of themotor 34, the pulleys 15 and 46 being connected in driving relation bythe endless V-belt Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, it is seen that anarcuately shaped guard 49 has one of its ends rigidly secured to thespaced arms 22", 23 by angle members 59, 51 and arches over the rotarycutters 2.9 in spaced relation relative thereto. At opposite sides ofthe free end of the guard 49 a pair of lugs '2, 53 secured atransversely extending pipe 54 thereto, the pipe 54 being provided witha T-connector 55 intermediate its ends for connection of one end of aflexible hose 56 the other end of which is connected to a source ofwater under pressure through a manually operated valve 5'7. Water isdischarged through the longitudinally space and aligned ports 58 formedin the pipe A yoke 59 has its arms connected with the side members 2, 3at so and 61, respectively, and a handle bar 62. connected to the outerend of its leg.

As seen in Figure l, the motor 34 is connected by the cable 63 to anelectrical line 6-4; through the switch as mounted on the handle bar 62,and that clamping means 66 rigidly secure the valve 57 to the leg of theyoke 59 adjacent the handle bar.

To operate the machine 1 the operator actuatcs the switch 65 to energizethe motor The afore-described pulley system is thus actuated to effectthe rotation of the tubular shaft 26 and the rotary cutters securedthereon. The machine 1 is then moved forwardly to cause the cutters 29to engage and break up the coal scam, the guard 49 preventing coallodging in the teeth thereof from being hurled therefrom undercentrifugal force to the ultimate harm of the user or of personsproximate to the machine.

At desired intervals the valve 57 may be operated to spray water fromthe pipe 54 over the mined coal to reduce the dust content in the mine.

The gear 17 and rack 23 provide means for vertically adjusting theposition of the rotary cutters 29 relative to the vein being operatedupon. In swinging the rotary cutters 29 from .the full line positiontoward the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, the wing nuts 37 areloosened to permit the bed plate 33 to be shifted forwardly to maintainthe proper center line distance between the pulleys 41, 42 and 29, 35,respectively.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention indetail, it will be understood that the same is offered by way ofexample, and that the invention is only'to be limited by -the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mining machine. comprising a wheeled chassis, cutter support armspivotally carried by said chassis adjacent one end thereof for'movementin'parallel arcuate paths about a common horizontal axis, a cuttercarried by said arms on one end thereof for movement therewith, gearmeans carried by said chassis for rotation about a common horizontalaxis lying in the same plane and spaced from said first common axis andoperatively connected to the other end of said support arms to move thesupport arms to a selected position in its arcuate path, a motor mountedon said chassis for movement logitudinally of the chassis, driving meansoperatively connected between said motor and said cutter to impartrotation to said cutter, and means for securing said motor in itslongitudinal path of movement at a position wherein the driving means isadjusted with respect to the spacing between the motor and the cutterwhen the support arms and cutter are moved to the selected position.

2. A mining machine comprising a wheeled chassis, cutter support armspivotally carried by said chassis adjacent one end thereof for movementin parallel arcuate paths about a common horizontal axis, a cuttercarried by said arms on one end thereof for movement therewith, gearmeans carried by said chassis for rotation about a common horizontalaxis lying in the same plane and spaced from said first common axis andoperatively connected to the other end of said support arms to move thesupport arms to a selected position in its arcuate path, a bed platemounted on said chassis for movement longitudinally thereof, a motorcarried by said bed plate for movement therewith, a driving meansoperatively connected between said motor and said cutter to impartrotation to said cutter, and means for securing said bed plate in itslongitudinal path of movement at the position wherein the driving meansis adjusted with respect to the spacing between the motor and the cutterwhen the support arms and cutter are moved to the selected position.

3. A mining machine comprising a wheel chassis, a pair of cutter supportarms pivotally carried by said chassis on opposite sides and adjacentone end thereof for movement in parallel arcuate paths about a commonhorizontal axis, a cutter carried by said arms on one end thereof andextending therebetween for movement therewith, a gear segment formed onthe other end of each of said arms, transversely spaced gears rotatablymounted on said chassis for rotation about a common axis longitudinallyspaced from said first common axis, one of said gears being enmeshedwith one of said segment gears so that upon rotation of said gears, saidarms and said cutter will be moved in the arcuate path to a selectedposition, a bed plate mounted on said chassis for movementlongitudinally thereof, a motor carried by said bed plate for movementtherewith, a driving means operatively connected between said motor andsaid cutter to impart rotation to said cutter, and means for securingsaid bed plate. in its longitudinal path of movement at the positionwherein the driving means is adjusted with respect'to the spacingbetween the motor and the cutter when the support arms and cutter aremoved to the selected position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.7,135 Sheldon May 23, 1876 779,442 Richmond et al Jan. 10, 1905 908,928Wood Jan. 5, 1909 1,143,897 Flexner et al June 22, 1915 1,278,846 BuddSept. 17, 1918 1,336,440 OToole Apr. 13, 1920 2,269,781 Osgood Jan. 13,1942

